She Sang Without a Headscarf. Now, 74 Lashes

An Iranian singer's viral performance has led to a punishment that rights groups are calling both extreme and illegal. Parastoo Ahmadi, 29, and eight members of her production team have been sentenced by a criminal court in Qom province to 74 lashes, two years of travel restrictions, and a two-year ban on artistic work, reports the Guardian. Ahmadi's offense? She sang a patriotic song without a headscarf during a December 2024 YouTube livestream.

Court documents cited "vulgar and immoral" online content and "offending public decency." Iran's judiciary has not formally announced the ruling, but lawyers and advocacy groups say the case is part of a broader push to stifle cultural dissent. Human rights experts argue the sentence lacks a legal basis under Iran's own laws and violates global prohibitions on torture. It's "yet another reminder that human rights conditions in Iran have not changed, despite the Iranian authorities' wartime propaganda campaign aimed at improving their image," says Bahar Ghandehari of the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, per Euro News.